Every word from Mikel’s post-Newcastle presser | Press conference | News

After our 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta was soon tackling questions from the media in his post-match press conference.

Our manager was asked about topics including where we stand heading into the second leg, fixture congestion and the key moments in the first leg.

Here is everything he had to say:

on our 2-0 defeat:
It’s the result. If you look at what both teams produced and the domination of the game, it’s not a result that reflects the story of the game. But the reality is that they were super efficient with the chances that they had and we weren’t, and at this level in these kind of scenarios, you need to impose yourself and win the game.

on the second leg:
It’s just half time and when I see the team playing and how we dealt with a lot of situations and playing against a very good team, I must say, I have full belief that we can go up there and do it.

on the fatigue in the team:
If we lose the game, or draw the game, it’s going to be down to that. If we win and today we score three that we should have scored, the story would have been different. It’s incredible – they’re tireless and how they try in every single action, but I don’t even want to talk about that. We have so many games coming up, big ones, and the team really wants it.

on any regrets about the game:
The two goals that we gave away. After the one or two deflections in the first one, the goal arrives. It’s preventable but they generate that chaos, they’re good at that. Then the second one, in particular, the first and second reception in the box and then the ball cannot get there to score the goal but it gets there. We can do better.

on not having luck this season:
No. Well, compared to last season, and for example, in the Premier League, we are in the same position, we were knocked out of the Carabao Cup [earlier] so we are in a better position, considering everything that happened. I don’t really want to use that as an excuse, because the team still performs and competes with the best teams. We are one of the best teams in form right now and we produced much better things, so, no time to talk about this.

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on getting players back for the second leg:
Hopefully yes, we will have more players back and we will have more options to do that and the freshness that we’re going to need in that period. We play so many important games, so, I hope so.

on if he’s worried that missing chances could become a psychological problem:
Nothing – try to improve. You know, there are things that we could have done better. We were unlucky in moments. You need a certain luck for the ball to bounce there. You need that intuition as well, and if not, we’re going to have to generate more. That’s the thing that we can do. Then the probability will be higher for us to win, but certainly against this team to produce what we have produced, and looking back at the last six games that I watched, I haven’t seen it. But the result says 0-2, unfortunately.

on what he can do to help the players finish chances:
Nothing. Just try and show them, give them tips on what we can do better. I think we kicked a lot of the balls over the bar and it’s tricky because this ball flies a lot, and we discussed that as well. So there are details that we can do better. But, in the end, that’s gone. You know, this is no way back. It’s about the next game, and that’s the reality of our world.

on supporters leaving Emirates Stadium early tonight:
That’s their decision. We try our best and it’s their decision to stay right behind the team or leave. I think I repeated a thousand times how important they are and how critical it is to maintain the level of energy and belief in the stadium to generate big moments at the end that we could have had and because we were very close to score [and make it] 2-1 and we would have needed that, but that wasn’t the case and that’s not good.

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on having a killer instinct in front of goal:
We’re always going to discuss that when we don’t score a goal, because when we score five against Palace or three the next game or whatever, we’re not going to discuss that. I understand, and try to help the players as much as we can.

on Alexander Isak’s performance:
I don’t think he created or had any big chances, but he was involved in both goals unfortunately wuth the two times that he had the ball in the box. That’s what you have – the real quality up front and they can make a difference. They’re very clinical.

on the ball used in the Carabao Cup:
It’s just different, very different to a Premier League ball and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that.